This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

OTTAWA—Sen. Pamela Wallin told Senate colleagues debating her possible suspension Wednesday that she was ordered to resign from the Conservative caucus by Ray Novak, an aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Wallin specifically blames Sen. Marjory LeBreton, former government leader in the Senate, and Sen. Carolyn Stewart Olsen, a former Harper aide who was a key member of the committee which oversaw an audit into Wallin's expenses and referred the matter to the RCMP.

After Wallin speaks, senators will continue debate on two motions — one from Liberal Senate Leader James Cowan to hold a public hearing into the expense scandal, including an opportunity for Duffy, Wallin and Sen. Patrick Brazeau to defend themselves. The second, from Conservative Senate Leader Claude Carignan, would suspend the three embattled senators without pay for two years.

Conservatives emerged from their morning caucus meeting voicing support for Harper, saying the prime minister did the right thing in demanding that Duffy repay expenses.

But they refused to comment on Duffy’s other troubling allegations, that the prime minister’s office initially sanctioned his living expenses and then turned on him when the spending controversy blew up.

“I think the prime minister has been very clear all along that if you don’t have an expense, you shouldn’t claim an expense,” Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth (Kitchener Centre) told reporters.

“I think Canadians should be grateful that we have a prime minister who does insist that people do follow the rules,” Woodworth said.

Woodworth also said that Harper isn’t to blame that spending controversies have blown up around three of his Senate picks.

“You’d have to be clairvoyant to expect that events would unfold they way they did. These are both highly respected national journalists without a spot on their record,” Woodworth said of Wallin and Duffy.

Conservative Jay Aspin said the suspensions signal that the Conservatives are finally moving on Senate reform.

After the NDP caucus meeting Wednesday morning, Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair said the prime minister must respond to the allegations about his office’s involvement.

Mulcair said Harper is now “directly implicated” in the scandal.

“This is no longer a question about Nigel Wright or Mike Duffy,” Mulcair said. “This is about Stephen Harper. He’s got to start telling the truth to the public . . . He said he’s answered these questions, (but) all you have to do is look at and review the tapes of the questions in Question Period. He’s never answered any of these questions truthfully.”

Mulcair alleged that Harper has created and tolerated a “culture of corruption,” noting all three senators currently embroiled in the expense scandal were appointed by Harper.

“That’s what Stephen Harper has wrought. Now he’s reaping what he sowed.”

Meanwhile, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau called the Duffy affair a “sordid mess” that will only be solved by forcing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and others involved to testify under oath — with the RCMP, at a trial or at a public inquiry.

“The only way we are going to be able to begin to restore confidence in this institution and the people who serve here is if everyone involved, including the prime minister, testifies under oath. I think it’s regrettable that we’ve had to come to this point, but there is no question that is now what is going to be needed,” Trudeau told reporters after meeting with his Liberal MPs and senators.

Trudeau said Canadians are noticing how Harper has been avoiding questions on the Senate scandal since it started, in Question Period and with the media.

“It’s high time for the prime minister to show some leadership. A leader takes responsibility when things go wrong and this prime minister has consistently avoided taking any responsibility for this sordid mess.”

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com